2014 has had its share of lessons. The biggest lesson possibly being you only get every second once. This has been a stressful lesson I continue to relearn every year. For those who know me well, I tend to overload myself with work. That or something work-related always finds a way of interfering with what I actually want to do. This doesn't seem to be unique to just me, but it seems to affect everyone, especially illustrators or visual developers. So what's the best plan to "making more time" out of your limited 24hrs? Well, here's what I've learned so far:

Know your limits:You never want to strain yourself or get burned out. Sure taking on that second or third job can help with money, or taking that extra class can help you graduate faster. But if your health or well being are affected, and you're being held back from what you actually want to do it's not worth it. I repeat. IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

Prioritize: Sounds cliche, but keeping a schedule helps a lot in making sure you get that much closer to your goals. Don't get overwhelmed with all the different apps you can download, or piling everything on your calendar. The best ways I find are to have everything listed on an electronic calendar (be it Google Calendar, etc), set reminder alarms, lower the calendar preview to weekly, and on a physical piece of paper write down what you want to try and accomplish for today. This way everything I need recorded is there, but it's not starring me death in the eye. I try to write my list before going to bed so that when I wake up I don't waste time and can get started with the day.

Never dedicate too much time to one responsibility: Let's face it, we like spending as much time as possible with whatever we love. Shoot, I love writing blog posts and if I'm not careful it'll take 3 hours to write, revise, write again, all until I get every word perfect. You know as well as I do that sometimes it's best to say "it's good enough" and move on. I know that's difficult to do, but do it anyway. Give yourself time limits.

Let others know your plans: I say this because your friends and family won't know what's up unless you let them know. It also takes a little of that load off your back. Plus they can be great in telling you whether they feel you're taking on too much.

Whatever your plans are for this new year, try to keep your head and take it one step at a time. You've got this. Happy New Year and best to you and your future endeavors!